A common problem in cutting tools is the necessity to make fine adjustments in the position of cutting inserts. Contributing factors may include uneven wear resulting from repeated use, and variations in cutting insert dimensions including those due to manufacturing tolerances. As a result, the use of devices for adjusting the position of a cutting insert in cutting tools, such as a milling cutter, has developed into a well established practice in the field.
The operating cutting tool environment may expose the cutting insert adjustment devices to incessant and repeated shock and vibration. This may cause the adjustment screws used in the adjustment devices to loosen slightly, and may contribute to misalignment in the position of the cutting insert or in other precision elements used therein to position the insert. The operating environment may also cause wear both in the precision elements in contact with the cutting insert, and in the insert itself, thereby also resulting in positional misalignment and undesirable wear characteristics for the insert and/or its supporting tool(s).
Therefore, despite the availability of numerous devices in the market, there is a great need for a cutting insert adjustment device which can handle the high working stresses associated with the operating environment of a cutting tool.